Glenn Tipton/ Judas Priest diagnosed with Parkinson's

Just saw this article... slightly off-topic, slightly on-topic. Pretty remarkable nonetheless.

"7 marathons, 7 days, 7 continents and one man with Parkinson’s"
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nati...91602206fb7_story.html?utm_term=.4d533c9d8dd8

 

So why not direct your comment to the intended target(s) instead?

 

very sad news. without glenn or kk its really weird

 

Yup, by being rude to everyone that disagree with ya. Way to go, sport And if you like throwing out accusations disguised as views and refrain from making good (or rather any) arguments to defend them, that would be your prerogative. It just seems a bit weird to me, this being a discussion forum and all.

And c'mon, dude. Grow a sense of humour about yerself (and Vinnie), will ya. This is the internet, nothing here is to be taken that serious.

BTW, you may mock Rob Ford all you like, if that will make you feel better. Just don't call him fat...

 

Because then he would get the reply he deserved instead of trying to get his stuff to fly by under the radar. This is kindergarten, after all

 

What time does the PM Kindergarten bus arrive?

 

It is a bit early yet, but we will get there sooner rather than later.

 

Nap time for me!

 

Yeah I got to see 2005 Ozzfest, which was all about Priest. I also saw them in the mid 80s.
When Downing left, that was it for me as well. Even in 05 Rob didn't have the voice he once had for the high parts. If there are fans who want to see them as they are today, by all means. Bands whose singers have lost their range in itself is usually a deal breaker for me. I always resent the price of tickets for the oldies circuit anyway. I have paid it occasionally for bucket list purposes. That said, if there's a younger generation wanting a JP live experience, I hope they see a great show.

 

I've been listening to almost nothing but Priest for the last three days. Today I'm going extra geeky and listening to my old cassettes that I have up 'til Ram it Down. Only finishing up Rocka Rolla (Dying to Meet You) now so we'll see how far I get.

Random thoughts on the JP situation.

Rob made an interesting comment about Glenn stepping aside;

What are the songs that have to be in a Judas Priest set list? Victim of Changes, Breaking the Law, Living After Midnight, You've Got Another Thing Comin', Metal Gods. I would guess the more challenging songs for Glenn's soloing (though slightly less necessary in the set) would be Painkiller and Electric Eye.

I'd like to see Ritchie handling these solos live and not Andy Sneap. Ritchie is such a great middle ground between technique and 'feel'. And he's in the band. I wonder how it would work, and if it's being considered, for Ritchie to do all/almost all the soloing.

I'd also like to see them recognize the uniqueness of this situation for the fans and dig into the catalogue a little deeper than, well, ever. Bring out Don't Go, or Saints in Hell, or White Heat Red Hot, or Killing Machine, or Fever, or Reckless. Or a wink to the strangeness of the situation with Cathedral Spires. You're not going to lose a casual fan who's there for the 'hits' and you might gain a few old timers with some really deep cuts.

And I really hope somebody in the media asks the band about whether KK was considered for this tour.

 

Yes, I have been wanting JP to do songs they have never done or rarely did as well - Saints In Hell, Heroes End, Raw Deal, Killing Machine, Before The Dawn etc, etc. IF JP did this and expanded the set-list for the rare cuts, I might go. If it is the same set-list with Breaking the Law, Living After Midnight, You've Got Another Thing Coming, etc., I will NOT go, especially w/o KK and Glenn.

 

A couple of new Firepower cuts along with the usual warhorses is what you can expect.

I'd love to be wrong though.

 

You are most likely correct, I do hope they change it up though - include a couple cuts from the new album and then change it up. But you are right, it will be the play it safe set list.

 

Well, you're going to get those songs no matter what. Judas Priest always play it ultra safe with set lists and this will be no different and in fact may be even more safe given the circumstances.

But once they finish the six or seven song they have to play there's no reason not to at least add a couple of deep cuts.

I was listening to a bootleg last night from November of 2015 and they played The Rage, Screaming For Vengeance and Desert Plains. If you can play those songs (particularly the first two) and not send a 'hits' crowd running to the beer tent there's no reason you can't dig deeper.

Edit to add. I'm very interested to see what songs from Redeemer of Souls remain in the set.

 

KK has been out of the band for several years now. He's made it clear that he has no interest in returning for a number of reasons. It would help the credibility of Priest for him to return, but I don't think it's realistic. I seriously doubt that Richie (or is Ritchie? I've seen it spelled two different ways) would take all the solos because Priest has always been a back and forth type band in terms of the twin guitars. I'd have to believe they'd want that aspect to remain intact.

As to whether Judas Priest will hang it up after this tour? I'm not so sure. They've already stated that Glenn can still play and 'will still record with them' so that seems to indicate that they might continue to carry on (or they're just being optimistic for the fan's sake and for the tour to go on and people still be invested in the band).

 

Can't disagree with anything you said.

But that said...

I also don't think it's realistic to think KK would come back (or be wanted back) but that doesn't mean it's not the first thought on most fans' minds. So the band should be asked about it.

Priest is such an insular and boring entity in terms of what they disclose that it's hard to know and frankly we're left to believe what we want. Which made me really surprised to hear that KK is releasing a book and has me betting it'll have very little sniping or gossip that fans might want. It's also terrible timing if there was any thought of JP trying to get him back however briefly.

Without any real knowledge I've gotten the sense, and have therefore run with the idea, that KK had issues with Glenn because of Glenn's relationship to management (Jayne Andrews specifically). But I've also heard KK had some hand issues of his own. I have zero idea what's true.

It's just such a unique situation, a tour booked and a guy can't go. Sure KK might not want to return in an ideal world. But this isn't ideal. As it sits right now it's a five month tour, if it was done as a genuine farewell tour that might sway his interest.

As far as having twin lead guitars and them wanting to stick to script, that's reasonable but we're pretty far off the script now so...

And you made me check, and Richie spells it "Richie" on his twitter page and I guess he'd know. I've been spelling it wrong, thanks for the heads up. Guess I should take a deep breath and count to ten the next time someone's bragging on their love for Randy Roades.

Personally (and full disclosure I'm a card carrying pessimist) I think the band is being optimistic for public consumption but hopefully I'm wrong.

 

Agreed. The band is obviously trying to put a positive spin on the situation. Although I certainly don't blame them for taking that hopeful approach, I think it's unrealistic to expect that any of us will ever see Glenn play live again.

In fact, I would not be surprised if the next news we hear from the band about Glenn is of his passing.

Us music fans have been done this road before, especially in the last few years.

 

I don't think the next news from the JP camp will be of Glenn's passing (at least I hope not!). as I assume Glenn should have many more years of living left, I mean look at Michael J. Fox still kicking it. I don't think Glenn will play live again unless it is some sort of short one-off appearance or guest appearance.
This news totally blows and I feel bad for Glenn as it seems the JP I grew up with and loved is no more. Yes. Rob and Ian are still there and I really dig those cats, but it is more like a Halford show now - not that that is a bad thing as Halford has proven that he can carry on as a solo performer really well.
"Got no use for routine. I shiver at the thought." Yeah man!

 

IRON MAIDEN's STEVE HARRIS Says It's 'Really Sad' To See GLENN TIPTON Sidelined By Parkinson's Disease

IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris says that it's "really sad" to see Glenn Tipton bowing out of JUDAS PRIEST's upcoming tour as a result of his battle with Parkinson's disease.

The guitarist, who is now 70 and has performed on every PRIEST album since the band's 1974's debut set, "Rocka Rolla", is not quitting the band, but simply cannot handle to rigorous challenges of performing live. Joining PRIEST for its upcoming dates will be the band's co-producer and HELL/ex-SABBAT guitarist Andy Sneap.

Speaking to SiriusXM's Eddie Trunk earlier this week, Harris said about Tipton: "He'd come to see us play with BRITISH LION [Steve's side project] a couple of years ago in Birmingham and we had a good chat then, and he seemed pretty good, to be honest. But I think it's been up and down with it over the years and it's just probably got to the point now where he can't really carry on, which is really sad. But maybe he'll be… I don't know if he'll be out performing [with the band again]. He's indicated he might be able to do a couple of songs here and there."

Harris also spoke about MAIDEN's longevity and once again reiterated his stance that the band has absolutely no plans of retiring. Asked if he thought when he first formed MAIDEN more than four decades ago that the group would still be around this many years later, the bassist responded: "No, not at all. I mean, you don't think that far in back then — you just think about the next album and the next tour. So that's how we've been carrying on, really. I've been asked that question so many times since 20 years ago: 'How long are you gonna carry on for?' I don't know. We'll carry on as long as we can. These days, I suppose, you've gotta look at everybody's health and there's things that might be out of our hands [that might determine] as to whether we carry on or not. But if we can physically carry on, we'll carry on [for a long time]."

IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson was diagnosed with cancer of the tongue in late 2014. He later completed seven weeks of chemotherapy and radiation and made a full recovery.

Former IRON MAIDEN drummer Clive Burr died in March 2013. He was 56 and had multiple sclerosis.

Following the massively successful global tour of 2016-17 in support of its 16th studio album, "The Book Of Souls", IRON MAIDEN will take to the road again in 2018 with a series of arena and festival shows in Europe on the "Legacy Of The Beast" world tour, opening in Tallinn, Estonia on May 26 and finishing at the O2 Arena, London on August 10.

 

Please allow me to repeat my favorite Glenn Tipton moment.... (From here)

I liked the time that we were in the front row, house right (stage left), by the orchestra pit inside the Landmark Theater in Syracuse, NY. (The guy in the red shirt below at 3 o'clock is where I was.)

Iron Maiden was opening for Judas Priest in 1981. At the end of their set, Clive Burr threw his drum sticks out to the crowd. One of them bounced backward off of the orchestra pit wall and landed in the empty space right in front of us. A security guy grabbed the stick, and jammed it in his back pocket. We all yelled at him during intermission to give up that stick, but nope! That drum stick was all his.

Soon enough, the lights went down, and Priest took the stage. The security guy crouched down like a baseball catcher, the drumstick sticking out of his back pocket like an antenna. Halfway through the first song, "Solar Angels," Glenn Tipton jumped into the pit, grabbed that stick and threw it far into the crowd. Instant crowd reaction, and the security guy never moved or changed his expression. It was one of the funniest things I have ever seen. And it happened right in front of me...!

What a great rock and roll moment!

 

Great story! I would love an official live cd/dvd from the Point Of Entry tour, especially a DVD because the stage set and Rob's attire were so cool for that tour! There is almost nothing available video wise but I hope they recorded something. I bet that show was great, my friend also saw this tour combo and he said it was awesome

 

I'd be in if they considered doing Invader as well. I don't think they've ever played that one live before, though they used the UFO guitar effect during the intro to Starbreaker back in the day.

 

Priest had a helluva run, but the Priest we knew really is gone now. The twin guitar attack of Downing and Tipton is gone, and Halford's voice is a shell of its former self.

 

I'm not particularly happy to see "Andy Sneap-Production, additional guitars" on the Wikipedia entry for Firepower. I don't see why Richie couldn't have played anything that Glenn couldn't.

I was looking at my Ram it Down cassette today and it has Lead Break Credits for every song. I'd like to see that for this new album.

 

Have told this before...but walked into the Barbers (Haidresser's) early 1984...in Quinten, Birmingham (think Glenn grew up there) with a mate.
Glenn was in there having his hair done.
Spoke about Rob's (at the time, hidden sexuality)..the UK tour they'd just completed and future American tour.
He signed a tour program for me (which I hastily went and fetched).
Humble, easy going bloke.
Another friend has spotted him in his local pub quite often......this is in Fairfield, Bromsgrove.